LIVING THE DAY OF THE DEAD IN MEXICO (MéRIDA, YUCATáN)

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what is the day of the deads? As it is celebrated? When? How was he born? We were lucky to live this experience in the city of Mérida, in Yucatán, and although it is not the area where it is most celebrated in Mexico, it was something we will remember forever. In this article we will try to clear all doubts and tell you a few curiosities about this special celebration.

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that essentially is proposed honor the ancestors. The cult of death is something fundamental in the history of humanity and in Mexico he knew how to cause, at the same time, respect, fear and adulation. It is said that it was already something very present in pre-Columbian times and that several ethnic groups, such as the Mayan and the Totonac, held celebrations in honor of the dead.

Specifically, the origin of this celebration dates back to the Mexican festivities of Miccailhuitontl (dedicated to the souls of deceased children) and Ueymicailhuitl (dedicated to the souls of deceased adults). Although initially this party lasted almost a month, after evangelization it was decided to do it match the feast of All Saints.

Today the celebration takes place on November 1 and 2:

The November 1st they remember the deceased children and all the Saints.
The November 2 the souls of the other ancestors are remembered.

During the Day of the Dead it is believed that the souls of our ancestors return home, and although it may seem at first sight a sad moment, it is actually an opportunity to celebrate life, rather than grieve over the death of loved ones. Two fundamental tasks are performed:

1. Be visit cemeteries, to pay tribute to the ancestors and put candles on their graves, in order to light their way home.

2. Some are mounted altars with photos of the deceased and full of offerings, so that souls returning home can find them. The altars have different levels, which represent the separation between the earth and the sky and are decorated with photographs of the ancestors, with flowers, incenses, food, candles and never missing personal objects and music.

One thing we liked a lot is that between Offerings particular importance is given to 4 items:

The air, is represented by incense and smoke (it is supposed to help the deceased find their way back home).
The fire, is represented by candles, which burn and shine remembering the soul of the ancestor.
The EarthIt is represented with fruits, sweets such as sugar skulls, the bread of the dead and with cempasuchil flowers, the traditional yellow flower of the day of the dead.
The Water, she represents herself lol. On the altars there is always a glass of fresh water (on occasion there is also tequila), which will quench the thirst of souls.

Another thing we found re-cute is that people paint their faces in the shape of a skull. It was one of the things I most wanted to do and look ... I could fulfill my dream (although at first more than a skull looked like a member of the Kiss XD band).

Curiosity: in 2003 UNESCO declared this festival is Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout Mexico. But there are specific places where this tradition is lived with special intensity, is the case of Patzcuaro (Michoacán), Tlaquepaque, Xochimilco or San Andres Mixquic.

La Catrina is one of the most universal Mexican symbols. It is a high society woman (it is known thanks to his outfit) but whose face is represented by askull. La Catrina was born as a element of complaint, since its author, the cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada, intended to ridicule and discredit the so-called "garbanceros", the "new rich" who denied their indigenous roots in favor of European culture. That is why the Catrina, in its beginnings, was known as the "chickpea skull."

However, it seems that this symbol took on a life of its own and today it perfectly represents the Mexican vision of death: whether you are rich or poor, the end will be the same for everyone, so it is well worth enjoying this life ... waiting for the next one 😉

The main reason for our trip to Mexico was to be able to live the Day of the Dead. We have always been very interested in this celebration (ok, a little more after seeing Coco), and if we add that Mexico was one of the countries we most wanted to visit, well ... we decided to join both!

The celebration of Day of the Dead in Yucatán, like many other things here, has Mayan origin, specifically on the feast of the Hanal Pixán. We enjoyed it in Merida, capital of Yucatan and, how could it be otherwise, we loved it.

The first thing we did was approach the general cemetery when nightfall. Here, we have to say that there was some confusion: apparently the shows were going to start at 18, but a lot of people went at 17, so they closed the doors and we stayed half an hour outside. Luckily we were able to enter, but seeing how crowded that was, we decided to go out through the other door XD. At this exit we saw some stands where there were just two seats left and we took place, waiting for what would be an experience: see the Walk of the Souls. Eye: takes place the night of October 31.

Around 20.30 hundreds, thousands of souls (caricatured people of skeletons and Catrinas), left the cemetery and began a procession that would arrive, after about 3 km of travel, to the Arch of San Juan.

Along the way, which we also followed, we were able to enjoy homemade food stalls, altars in honor of the ancestors and much, much atmosphere. It was super exciting. We leave you a few pictures.

Now we only have to recheck the calendar next year and re-organize a trip to Mexico, to relive the Day of the Dead! An experience that we recommend to all travelers in the world!